PERLONEX / JULIJUNI - Splitting Series #1

2004 release. "This vinyl only release is the first in German label Happy Zlotys limited edition Splitting Series. Its a similar idea to the Fat Cat series of 12"s-the two improvising trios Perlonex and Julijuni are each given a side apiece. Perlonex are Ignaz Schick on various objects, turntables etc, Jörg Maria Zeger on guitar and Burkhard Beins on percussion, all musicians who are active in various other improvising contexts. The Perlonex side begins with a drone and delicate, looping guitar arpeggio before heading into a post-industrial, post-AMM landscape full of feedback, clanking chains and unidentifiable scrapes and thuds. The piece gathers density as it moves along, becoming a thickly matted assembly of sounds, with a guitar loop as a constant. Perlonex are a cohesive unit and they all pull in the same direction when they play, producing a commited and intense piece of group communication. Julijunis sound sources are Powerbook, feedback and guitar, coming from Michael Rieken, Tim Tetzner and Ansgar Wilken respectively. Their three tracks are airier but less assured then the Perlonex side. As with Perlonex, recognisable guitar sounds are set against abstract, untuned noises. The music is light-footed and shifts readily from episode to episode. Their sense of space steers them away from thick textures. The guitar is again used gracefully but the laptop occasionally sound sluggish compared to the other sound sources. The music is fitfully engaging but none of the pieces quite hangs together as a fully on-the-boil performance." - WIRE, Will Montgomery, May 2004. HAPPY ZLOTY is a small label from Bremen that has released a series of beautiful 7"s and LPs. All are editions of 200 or 300 in silkscreened sleeves.